Female orgasms can be a highly rewarding experience during sexual activity or masturbation. Unfortunately, there tends to be an 'orgasm gap' where men often orgasm more often than women.
That's because female orgasm remains largely misunderstood, and many harmful myths persist.
In this article, we've curated a list of insightful and interesting female orgasm statistics gathered from many academic research studies. That way, you can better learn why female orgasms happen, their benefits, and the common misconceptions about them.
1. There's no evolutionary benefit to female orgasm.
The benefits of male orgasm are clear – for reproduction. This serves a clear evolutionary purpose.
However, the purpose of female orgasm has long been unclear. Research in 2016 found no evolutionary benefit to having female orgasms. Still, the pleasure that it causes can help incentivize women to have sex and promote a bond with a partner.
2. Women orgasm less than men on average.
In one study, only 50 to 70% of women experienced orgasms compared to 95% of men.
In committed relationships, 70% of women said they experienced orgasms, while only 49% with casual partners. This largely points to the problem that women face and how the female orgasm differs from male orgasms.
That's because women have orgasm-inducing nerves in the clitoris.
While intercourse offers some women enough clitoris stimulation to cause an orgasm, they may need more direct clitoral stimulation.
3. Most women won't orgasm from intercourse alone.
81.6% of women don't orgasm from just intercourse, and only 18.4% of women state that intercourse alone is enough for an orgasm.
Unfortunately, this stems from the fact that many men believe women "should" be having orgasms during intercourse.
Another health report found that only 4% of females say they orgasm through penetration alone. 43% believe that clitorial stimulation combined with penetration is what makes women orgasm.
However, 34% believe that it's exclusively clitoral stimulation that causes women to climax.
4. Women less open to casual sex will need more time before orgasm.
The overall well-being and the type of relationship can have some effect on orgasms.
Women who've been in a relationship for 6 months or longer are 6 times as likely to orgasm than someone who is a first-time hookup.
Also, women having sex with a hookup partner for the 3rd through 5th time are 40% more likely to have an orgasm than from a first-time partner. Hooking up 6 or more times doubles the odds of orgasms over the first sexual encounter.
It makes sense that with more experience comes comfort.
As women feel more comfortable around their sexual partners, they are more likely to voice their preferences about what makes them orgasm.
5. Women more open to casual sex are more likely to orgasm during hookup encounters.
That said, a person's beliefs about sexual activity also factor into their likelihood of orgasming.
Women with more positive views of casual sex are more likely to orgasm during a one-night stand and less likely to do so with a long-term partner. That's because these women may prefer casual sex compared to sex in a committed relationship.
Research has shown that when hookups are motivated by a desire for adventure and pleasure, they are more likely to focus on their own pleasure, increasing their chances of orgasm.
6. Female orgasms can help improve your skin.
Have you ever noticed that having an orgasm helps calm you down? You're not alone. 39% of women in a survey reported masturbating to relax.
When you orgasm, you release oxytocin, which is the love hormone. It's a chemical in your body that makes you feel close to someone.
Oxytocin has been found to help prevent wrinkles and reduce skin aging.
Also, an orgasm boosts estrogen levels in your body, and estrogen has been found to aid in preventing aging skin. It helps minimize the decrease of collagen, a vital protein for maintaining youthful skin. Not to mention, affection and frequent sex make people happy.
A study confirmed that people who smile tend to be perceived as looking younger.
7. Women don't need to be in love to orgasm.
Contrary to popular belief, your relationship with your partner may or may not impact your ability to orgasm during sex. Orgasm is a complex biological and psychological experience, and reaching it isn't the same for every woman.
Some women prefer to feel love to orgasm, while others do not.
A 2018 study discovered that 86% of lesbian women reported that they always or usually orgasm during sex compared to 65% of heterosexual women.
The participants in the study were more likely to experience orgasm if they:
- Engaged in oral sex
- Expressed what they wanted in bed
- Felt loved during sex
- Received more oral sex
- Played out sexual fantasies
- Experimented with new sexual fantasies
If you're struggling with orgasms, it's worth spending more time in foreplay and mixing things up in the bedroom.
8. Being unable to orgasm is often caused by physical and mental health issues.
Not being able to orgasm is a common problem and can occur for many reasons. Some people may have experienced trauma related to sex, while others don't receive the stimulation they need.
A 2018 analysis of 135 studies found that there were many factors that increased the likelihood of sexual dysfunction, such as:
- Stress
- Anxiety about sex
- Mental health problems
- Alcohol & tobacco
- Sexual abuse
- menopause
9. Women experience orgasms in different ways
Most women experience orgasms in a variety of ways and report many different sensations.
According to Michael Ingber, MD, a physician in urology, orgasms aren't just experienced in the genitals. Many females have a 'head-to-toe experience."
It starts with a desire or arousal for sex. Blood starts to engorge through the vagina, clitoris, and nipples, creating a full-body sexual blush.
10. Most females experience their first orgasm by the age of 20
While many women may struggle with orgasm, studies have shown that masturbation can help.
36% of females have reported that they have masturbated and experienced an orgasm before 14 years old. 40-50% of women said they had their first orgasm during sex by 20.
Also, 91.6% of women who have trouble with anorgasmic dysfunction can experience orgasms regularly through masturbation after a five-week treatment plan.
11. It's not easy for women to reach an orgasm.
A 2018 study revealed that 10 to 40% of women say they have an inability to reach an orgasm.
So, if you're struggling to hit your climax, it's a lot more common than you think.
The problem is that many factors can contribute to why someone can't orgasm, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause. There are many reasons, ranging from anxiety to stress to past trauma and medical issues.
That's why it's a good idea to consult with your doctor to rule out any underlying health conditions.
12. Female Orgasms Get Better With Age
There are many things to gripe about when it comes to getting older, but your sex life may not be one of them. Many people just assume that a woman's sex life peaks in their twenties.
However, when it comes to getting the best orgasms, that's not true.
It turns out the frequency and quality of orgasms improve as you age. In a study that surveyed over 2,600 women using the McCoy Female Sexuality Questionnaire method, they found that females in the age group of 36 and over received the best orgasms and the most enjoyable sex.
That's largely because older women will feel more comfortable in their skin and can better communicate their needs and preferences to their partner. That said, this is probably not true for women past the age of 55, where menopause has already kicked in.
13. Most women achieve orgasm through their partner's mouth or hand.
The way of reaching orgasm varies depending on the person. A study conducted by the Journal of Sexual Medicine surveyed women and asked them the type of stimulation needed to reach an orgasm.
Here are the results:
- 48% of women orgasm with the help of a partner's mouth or hand
- 37% say they orgasm primarily through masturbation
- 29% use a vibrator
14. Not many women achieve multiple orgasms
Unfortunately, not many women achieve multiple orgasms during a single session, which further highlights the orgasm gap between genders. Only 15% of females consistently have multiple orgasms despite how most women have the capacity to do so.
That said, if you struggle to have multiple orgasms, you may need to have more time in between. With enough downtime, this issue should be fixed.
15. Over 50% of women have faked an orgasm.
If you've ever faked an orgasm, it's probably because you didn't want to disappoint your partner or shatter their confidence.
Believe it or not, that's completely ok.
58.8% of women say they've faked an orgasm at least once in their life. There are many reasons for this.
- 57.1% say they wanted their partner to feel confident and successful
- 44.6% wanted the sex to end
- 37.7% said they didn't want to hurt their partner's feelings.
Society has put a lot of pressure on women to orgasm, leading to guilt and performance anxiety.
The good news is that the same study cited various reasons many women no longer fake orgasms. Here's what they found:
- 46.6% of women felt more comfortable having sex with their partner whether the orgasms occurred or not
- 35.5% were more confident in themselves
- 34% felt that their partner was okay with them not having an orgasm
16. Men are more likely to orgasm than women
The unfortunate truth is that in heterosexual encounters, men have more orgasms than women.
Studies tend to vary about the severity of the gap, but all of the studies have pointed to how men orgasm more than females during sex.
In a survey of 3,000 single men and women, men experienced orgasms 85% of the time, while women had orgasms 63% of the time. A study from Durex found that 20% of females claim they don't orgasm, compared to only 2% of men.
17. Masturbating and oral sex can allow you to reach orgasm faster.
When you understand your body, you're more likely to experience orgasms. Women who masturbate orgasm about 50% faster when masturbating than in sexual intercourse.
And during casual hookups, oral sex increases the likelihood of female orgasms from 37 to 48%. Also, women have more frequent orgasms when they're more attracted to their partners.
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Knowing everything there is to know about female orgasms can drastically help your sexual, physical, and emotional health.
By now, we've debunked some common myths about orgasms and clarified a few ideas about why orgasms happen and how to have them more often.
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